Thrash metal seems to ebb and flow in popularity ever since its inception. It had its commercial peak in the 1980s, was decimated by grunge. Then reared its head again in the 2000s with a new wave of thrashers, as well as reunited ones, in response to the domination of metalcore, much like it originally took on glam. That thrash revival is long gone now but in recent years, thrash has been making some waves again, thanks to the likes of Nervosa and the massively missed Power Trip. With that in mind, "Aftermath," the eighth full-length from Spanish outfit Angelus Apatrida, ranks among this year's thrash metal albums. Well, possibly at the very top.

Despite a nearly twenty-five-year career and being signed with Century Media since 2010, Angelus Apatrida seems to have suddenly sprung onto the tongues of metal fans since the announcement of "Aftermath" and listening to the record, it's easy to hear why. Kicking things off with "Scavenger," a vicious, razor-sharp number that is a little more reminiscent of the likes of Evile than the original stalwarts. The goal of the band is clear: Pure, uncut thrash. Surprisingly, "Scavenger," while good, is one of the less remarkable songs on the album as from here on out, the band explores the full breadth of the genre.

"Aftermath" runs the full gamut of thrash metal, exploring its hardcore parentage on such songs as the excellent "Cold", and the slightly more punk "Rats," as well as using the genre's history of melody on the absolutely superb epic "To Whom It May Concern" and the grand finale, "Vultures And Butterflies." "To Whom It May Concern" is perhaps the highlight of the album, offering so much to listeners over an eight-minute span, without becoming repetitive or boring for a second. It's a real throwback to the likes of Metallica's "One" with its marriage of beauty and beast and has some really impressive musicianship, allowing the song to flow very naturally.

Of course, there are a number of notable guests present, including Hatebreed frontman Jamey Jasta, who appears on the single "Snob," a brilliantly groovy number, Todd la Torre of Queensryche on "Vultures And Butterflies," WarCry guitarist Pablo Garcia features on "Fire Eyes", and most surprisingly, rapper Sho-Hai makes an appearance on the penultimate song, "What Kills Us All," creating what might be the best crossover between rap and thrash since "Bring The Noise." Add to these the meaty "I Am Hatred" and the angry reflection of "Gernika" and what you have is an album that will delight the listener from start to finish.

Angelus Apatrida may not be a household name or even a common one among the international underground, but with "Aftermath," they may very well rectify that. There have been some excellent thrash metal albums released in 2023, but arguably none encapsulate the thrill and the variety of the genre quite like Angelus Apatrida has done with this record. Spanish metal has always produced some good music, but "Aftermath" is a strong contender for one of the best metal albums in the country's history.